


Cheesecake

by thedovahcat



Series: The Run-Arounds [3]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedovahcat/pseuds/thedovahcat
Summary: Broken jukeboxes and broken Port-a-Diners. Something's gotta give. Hancock learns that bit the hard way unfortunately.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Ghouls aren't allowed in Diamond City so either this is later on or this is some crazy alternate universe. That jukebox will be important later.

“Oh Vadim – Do not tell them that old thing there works. It does not! You must have seen another someplace else.”

“I SWEAR to you Yefim I got it working no less than TWO nights ago! I am just not very sure how I-” Before the bartender-Bobrov could answer his twin, the front doors slid open to let in more guests. He abandoned the beat up jukebox quickly in favor of going back to his post at the bar top. “Ah! Perfect timing Mr. Valentine! We were just talking about you!”

“Vadim-” Yefim hissed. “We were not. He is lying.”

Nick raised a would-be brow at the both of them. “I know you wouldn’t,” His gaze moved from Yefim to Vadim, “You on the other hand,”

“Hah! You are very funny. Anyhow! Come, I have a favor to ask of you! Ah- detective friends, you keep yourselves occupied for a moment if you will!”

Cat snorted as Hancock leaned out from behind the synth. “Aw, I didn’t think he’d be able to see me…”

“I’m a bit on the tall side, just not wide, unfortunately for you.” Nick sighed as he left his companions for the bartender and his ‘favor.’

“Yer killin’ me here man,” The ghoul called back to him, resting his hands on his hips. “Could stand to wet the old whistle I guess. Cat, want anything-” As soon as he turned his head, the girl was gone. Not terribly far though. “Wha-”

“Can anybody actually GET to that piece of cake?” Cat pressed her face against the glass of a nearby Port-a-Diner, staring at the suspiciously, perfectly preserved slice of cheesecake with some kind of red cherry glaze that laid inside at the very top of the display.

Hancock cringed. “Oh God- look you’re honestly better off not even bothering. I seen guys try to get that stupid thing before and even if they somehow managed to grab it I wouldn’t wanna put it anywhere NEAR -MY- mouth. And that’s saying a lot if you ask ME.”

“I’m gonna try anyway.”

Nick pursed his lips as he looked back at them briefly. He turned to eye Vadim again. “So you want me to fix this old thing up? I told you, I’m not a handyman.” He didn’t consider rebuilding fences or even painting them to really be in the same category as fixing an oversized holotape player. “I can go find you a mechanic if that’s what you-”

“Nonsense! You will do just fine. All you need to do is connect these things here, I cannot reach so well. Then restart the computer and go from there!”

The synth gave him a look of disbelief, but decided it best not to question the situation any further, unless deemed absolutely necessary of course. Besides, the sooner he could get this done, the better. “Well, I guess I -am- good at sweet-talking machines,” He muttered, leaning down and sticking his arms into the back of the jukebox’s open panel.

At most, it was just a big tangle of wires and corroded parts. “I’m more surprised you got it working at all in this state.” He grunted, twisting his hand in order to grasp at another bundle of cables.

“Never question Vadim Bobrov and the wonders he manages to scrounge up!”

They could both hear Yefim groaning and muttering something under his breath.

Something inside the partially rusted music-machine sparked suddenly. Nick pulled his hands away quickly. “There.” He got up, went around to the front and watched the device sputter back to life.

“Good, good! Now this is where I get stuck. You see this screen here?” Vadim tapped at it a few times with his knuckles. “A menu will come up and- yes! There it is. I do not know who would put a password on something like this. Someone who loves music a great deal perhaps! Or-”

“Alright, alright, let’s see…”

As soon as the detective laid a finger onto the keys, he heard a shriek come from behind them, and whirled around nearly panicked.

“OH SHIT YOU ALMOST HAD IT!” Cat and Hancock both had their faces practically smashed against the Port-a-Diner’s glass viewing dome. “HANG ON MOVE LEMME TRY!”

Nick shook his head and frowned, focusing on his work. A string of code here, a few clicks there, and the screen unlocked. Vadim let out a loud hoot and slapped his heavy hand onto the synth’s shoulder. “Hah! I knew you would be able to fix it!”

“It wasn’t broken, just locked by a security program. But you’re welcome.”

“From now on, I won’t charge you to use it! Or at least, you get a discounted price!”

“Gee thanks.” He pulls at his shirt collar a bit, straightening it out some before moving back towards the other two to see what all the commotion was about. “Are you seriously trying for that thing? I doubt you could eat it.”

“That’s not the point Nick.” Cat rolled her eyes. “The point is to just get it.”

“Get it and do what?”

“And that’s IT!”

He didn’t understand her logic, and he wasn’t going to try. Instead, he stood by and watched Hancock swear up and down as he missed the next dozen or so times. “Move.”

“I’m tellin’ you, it hasta be rigged.” Hancock huffed as he was shooed away from the joystick and buttons.

“Nah.” Nick took control and repositioned the claw over the plate carefully.

“We already TRIED from that angle-WOAH-”

The claw descended, grabbed onto the edges of the plate neatly, and successfully lifted it up and onto the small conveyer belt inside of the machine.

Cat yanked the small door open as it rolled out in front of them while Hancock pulled at his face. “HOW DID- BUT YOU-”

“I’m a machine, what did you expect?”

“We loosened it up for you!! There was NO WAY in HELL that you’d be able to-”

While they inevitably argued, Cat stared at the cake slice, rather put off by it now that it was out of the machine. It looked TOO perfect. Then again, a lot of pre-war things had this nearly uncanny valley vibe to it. Even the food.

“So, what do we do with it?” She asked, wrinkling up her nose.

Hancock paused in his frenzy and glanced down at the dessert. “Well we got it out, so…”

“You mean -I- got it out.”

“Oh right, well NICK VALENTINE THE ONLY SYNTH DETECTIVE IN ALL OF DIAMOND CITY, got it out. It’s probably a crime to not taste it.” He shuffled over to it and poked at it cautiously, then reeled back. “EW it’s still all jiggly!”

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just throw it out and let’s go. I thought you two wanted something to eat and drink. That’s why we came here.”

“Well, that was then. This is now. Bottom’s up.”

The girl and the synth both jumped for the mayor after yelping like startled hounds, but they were too late.

They stood outside only minutes later, either shaking their heads or running their palms down their faces as Hancock learned that there was really nothing special about two-hundred year old cheesecake.


End file.
